Obama's vague gay marriage stance under scrutiny

Education Secretary Arne Duncan broke ranks with the White House on Monday, stating his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage one day after Vice President Joe Biden suggested that he supported gay marriage as well.

Obama aides worked to manage any political fallout. They said the back-to-back remarks by two top administration officials represented personal viewpoints and were not part of a coordinated effort to lay groundwork for a shift in the president's position. Obama aides also tried to use the latest flare-up in the gay-marriage debate to shine a light on GOP rival Mitt Romney's history of equivocating on some gay-rights issues, an attempt to turn a potential political problem into an opportunity.

Obama, who supports most gay rights, has stopped short of backing gay marriage. Without clarification, he's said for the past year and a half that his personal views on the matter are "evolving."

The White House held firm on Monday to that position, which polls show puts the president increasingly at odds with his party and the majority of Americans on gay marriage. But with Biden and Duncan's comments reinvigorating the debate, Obama is likely to face renewed pressure to clarify his views ahead of the November election.

Throughout his first term, he has sought to walk a fine line on same-sex marriage. He's trying to satisfy rank-and-file Democrats by supporting a range of gay rights issues without alienating crucial independent voters who could be turned off by the emotional social issue.

The president's aides acknowledge that his position can be confusing. In states where gay marriage already is legal, the president says married gay couples should have the same rights as married straight couples. But he does not publicly support the right of gay couples to enter into a marriage in the first place.

Duncan, a longtime friend of the president as well as a member of his Cabinet, made clear Monday that his position on gay marriage was not in lockstep with the White House. Asked in a television interview whether he believed gay couples should legally be allowed to marry, Duncan said simply, "Yes, I do."

His comments followed Biden's assertion Sunday that he was "absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties."

Obama aides said Duncan was speaking about his personal views on the issue and was not under orders from the White House or the campaign to take his position.

As for Biden, White House and campaign officials said the vice president's remarks were no different from what he and Obama have said in the past.

"They were entirely consistent with the president's position, which is that couples who are married, whether they are gay or heterosexual couples are entitled to the very same rights and very same liberties," said David Axelrod, a senior adviser to the Obama campaign. "When people are married, we ought to recognize those marriages."

The latest political dust-up over gay marriage came just before North Carolina voters were to weigh in on a ballot initiative that would ban gay marriage in that state. Obama opposes the ban, as does former President Bill Clinton, who has recorded automated phone calls ahead of the vote. Obama was heading on Tuesday for Albany, N.Y., where lawmakers voted last year to approve gay marriage in that state.

"The record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples," said White House spokesman Jay Carney, who was peppered with questions about same-sex unions throughout his daily briefing Monday. He said there was no conflict between Obama not supporting gay marriage and yet opposing a ban.

At the same time, Obama aides sought to gain the upper hand on the issue with independent voters by highlighting Romney's record on gay rights. Aides argued there was a clear distinction between the Republican candidate and Obama, who repealed the military's ban on openly gay service members and ordered his administration to stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Romney favors a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, saying the policy should be set federally, not by states. Some conservatives have questioned Romney's commitment to that position, noting that during his 1994 Senate run, he said he supported "full equality" for gays and lesbians.

To put such doubts to rest, Romney told an Ohio television station Monday that he believes "marriage is between a man and a woman, and that's a position I've had for some time and I don't intend to make any adjustments at this point — or ever, by the way."

Many gay rights advocates and people close to Obama's campaign suggest it is no longer a matter of if, but when the president voices his support for same-sex marriage. The hope among some Democrats, and the fear among some Republicans, is that Obama is simply waiting until after the election to state his views publicly.

Obama has acknowledged he will have more freedom in some areas following the November contest. He was overheard telling outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in March that "after my election I have more flexibility." In that instance, Obama was speaking about the issue of missile defense.

Richard Socarides, a gay rights supporter who was a White House official in the Clinton administration, said Duncan's and Biden's comments this week may prevent Obama from being able to stay quiet on gay marriage before Election Day.

"It becomes increasingly difficult to finesse this for very much longer," Socarides said. "The president is going to get asked about this every time there's an opportunity."

One upcoming opportunity is a campaign fundraiser Obama is scheduled to headline with gay and lesbian supporters in early June.

The issue also is expected to surface at the Democratic convention in September, where many party leaders want to include support for gay marriage in the official platform. Caroline Kennedy, one of Obama's campaign co-chairs, voiced her support for that effort on Monday.

Gay marriage is legal in six states, plus the District of Columbia.

Obama's reluctance to embrace gay marriage has increasingly put him at odds with a majority of Americans. A Washington Post/ABC News poll from March found that 52 percent felt it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married, while 43 percent said it should be illegal.

Support for gay marriage is highest among Democrats, with 64 percent supportive of the issue. Just over half of independents — 54 percent — back legalized gay marriage, according to the Post/ABC poll. Support among Republicans is the lowest, at 39 percent.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for
following agreed-upon rules of civility. Posts and
comments do not reflect the views of this site. Posts and comments are
automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some
comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules,
click the "Flag as offensive" link below the comment.

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." Jonathan Swift "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." Groucho Marx

According to the latest Gallup poll, 65% of Dems, and 57% of independents (like me) support equal marital rights for those who identify as same-sex oriented. I think he'd energize more voters to vote for him, than alienate voters to vote against him, if he would support equal rights for all persons in long term committed relationships.

On a related note, "Last week, John Smid, the former director of Love in Action, the country’s oldest and largest ex-gay ministry, acknowledged on his blog that, contrary to the claims of the movement he represented for decades, gay people cannot become straight. “I’ve never met a man who experienced a change from homosexual to heterosexual,” he wrote. He himself certainly has not. “I would consider myself homosexual and yet in a marriage with a woman,” he explained. He loves his wife and has no plans to leave her, but wrote, “this doesn’t change the fact that I am who I am and she is who she is.”"

I guess Smid has come to understand that gays and lesbians can't be "straightened out", no matter how much they want to stop being condemned and discriminated against by folks of religious beliefs.

Obama Feds: if you want money, get on your knees and support gay marriage and abortion.

People: Vote only those who will not give up ethics, morals and values. What morals you say... only liberals ask this question.

Vote your incumbents out, they are the problem because they have supported these social issues by not fighting them head on. These long term politicos keep hanging around.

Blacks and Hispanics oppose gay marriage. Hispanics by in large do not support abortion.. Catholicism. There was a study that said more blacks have abortions than any other race (don't have link).

We all know Obama is testing the waters simply to try to get votes. He hurt the military with gays in the military. Maybe not now, but you just wait.. the moral fabric that ties the men and women that protect America together will falter.

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." Jonathan Swift "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." Groucho Marx

Jeff, you are on the high road. You blame everyone and yet your stances on gay marriage and abortion are why we are hurting.
If you are a grown man and/or woman.. you can do what ever makes you happy. It is not illegal to be homosexual !!!! However, lets not lie about it, it should not be promoted as "wholesome". Go to California or New York or even Colorado.. not here in Texas.

Blacks and women are humans.. and they serve our military because we need humans.

Homosexuals are humans as well but their likes should not be an issue for the military.

If you like to rob banks, why can't we say that robbing bank is okay. If you like to lie about people, why can't we say that is okay. If you like to fool around with married women, why can't we say that is okay.

You are the bigot because it is not an issue for hating or discriminating. Go to Iran and tell them you are a homosexual there and see what happens. We don't approve of that lifestyle and that is the end of it. WE DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.. don't bring it outside and say it is okay.

You might just get your wish as to your final destination - if you don't finally wake up to the fact that it isn't up to you to decide what's right and what's wrong. That jobs is already taken, by Someone just a wee bit more qualified than you.

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." Jonathan Swift "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." Groucho Marx

make the laws that we live by, and men are fallible. Laws change over time, as do social mores.

It was illegal and immoral for blacks and whites to intermarry. It is now legal, whatever your particular moral standards might be. It was illegal and immoral for couples to get divorced under most circumstances, but it is legal now, and, since fundamentalist Christians have among the highest divorce rates, I guess they see it as moral also, regardless of what Jesus had to say about the matter.

Cohabitation is still illegal in a number of states, but it is the laws are not usually enforced, and more and more people are doing it, regardless of you or my particular moral beliefs.

The younger generations are going to view the legislated discrimination against the LGBT community much as my generation viewed the legislated discrimination against women, blacks, Latinos.

The US will be much better for non-old White males, once we've died, and given the next bunch a shot at deciding things.

As for being a bigot is concerned, the bigotry you see in me is just your reflection in my eyes.